Combermere’s march to history in the Sports & Games/National Sports Council Schools’ League Hockey Tournament continued yesterday at the National Hockey Centre, Wildey.
Combermere won both the Under-15 Boys’ and Senior Girls’ outdoor titles to add to both under-13 titles won earlier and they have a real chance of capturing all six at stake.
They are guaranteed the Senior Boys’ crown as their “A” team will take on the “B” team today and are also favoured to win the Under-15 Girls’ title, with only Alexandra standing in their way.
Yesterday, under rainy skies, Combermere defeated Foundation 2-1 and the Senior Girls blanked Alexandra 3-0 after the rain stopped.
Senior national player Venessa Chewitt opened the scoring soon after the match got underway off a penalty corner. The low powerful shot beat Alexandra’s keeper Lisa Amari to the right.
A few minutes later Shalana Payne had a chance to make it 2-0, but her shot hit the side of the goal.
She didn’t make that error twice.
The ball was played into the “D” and to the left of the goal. All of the Alexandra defenders shifted to that side in response.
Jodie Grant spotted an unmarked Payne on the other side, sent a pinpoint pass across the face of the goal and Payne slotted home to double the advantage.
Alexandra had few chances to score and spent most of the time camped out in their defensive half.
Combermere put the game to bed moments before half-time.
The first shot off the penalty corner was blocked, but Natasha Straker made good with a poaching goal to put them up 3-0.
It was more of the same in the second as Alexandra couldn’t string together their passes to mount an attack. Each time they put a few together, the play was broken up in midfield.
Alexandra did get off one shot early in the second half but it was easily taken care of by Rhea Callender.
Straker almost scored her second in the final period but the shot was taken from outside the “D”, so the goal was disallowed.
Earlier, Foundation opened the scoring through a Peter Alleyne strike four minutes into the match.
Combermere equalized when Anton Cox converted off the penalty corner. They took the lead one minute later with a bit of luck.
Cox took the shot off the penalty corner, but as the ball was going out of play, an alert James Godding stuck out his stick, took the deflection and put Combermere up 2-1, virtually on the stroke of half-time.
Foundation wasted numerous chances to put the game back on even terms or even take the lead. They did not convert on four straight penalty corners and Combermere’s Nathaniel Moore gave them some headaches, nullifying a number of plays they were trying to build in midfield.
Simeon Morris also missed a few chances and time ran out on Foundation’s attempted comeback.
